WORLD’S BIGGEST CHURCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 62, 4 June 1927, Page 12

WORLD’S BIGGEST CHURCH

ST. PETER’S AT ROME HOW IT WAS BUILT The largest and most wonderful church in the world is St. Peter’s at Rome—and Rome still holds the palm as the “City of Churches.” In Rome, at one time, there was said to be a church for every day of the year, 365. To-day there are over 4<K' in existence, and the population of Rome is considerably under 700,000. The famed St. Peter’s was erected on the supposed site of the martyrdom of St. Peter, the Apostle, and of many of the early Christians of Rome. It is estimated that more than £10,000,000 was spent in its erection. The Cathedral is of immense sizein fact, everything connected with it is on a vast scale—but the details of the interior are so perfectly proportioned that the beholder is not at once aware of its vast size. The front is 357 ft. long and 144 ft. high. Its depth is 613 ft. and the height of the dome, the highest in the world, from floor to ceiling, is over 400 ft (44ft. higher than that of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London). This vast edifice was the successor of the Basilica, of great magnificence, erected in the year 306 by Constantine the Great. Although St. Peter’s was begun in 1450, it took 176 years to completeDuring this time the plans were changed several times. Rosselini, Batista, Alberti, Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Antonio Sangallo, Bernini. Michelangelo, etc., all had some dealings at one time or another with Its erection. But it was Michelangelo who is cred ited with the work of the massive dome, beneath which is the tomb of St. Peter himself. Mention must here be made of the 86 lamps of gold, whkn are kept constantly burning around the tomb in memory of the saint. A ball surmounting the dome, jmmediately underneath the cross, which, to the observer, looks like a tiny circle from below, is large enough to accommodate twelve people, and can be reached by a steep climb between the inner and outer cupolas of the dome. Michelangelo built the dome double, the interior diameter being 139 ft, the exterior 195Jft. A number of long, severe- looking buildings at the right of the Cathedral compose the Pope’s residence— th* Vatican, which immediately adjoin* St. Peter’s. Tourists from all P* of the globe visit Rome all the y& r round.